Mine



Jan. 30, 1923.

..1,-44s,431, w. F. PALMER.

MINE.

FILED APR. 19. 1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,431.

W. F. PALMER.

MINE.

FILED APR. 19. 1921-, 2 SHE'ETSSHEET 2.

snow H01 erna i r inforc ments...

Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

, W ET- L I ASEINGTON, DIS'13ICTOIE COLUMBIA? MINE.

Application fi1ed'@pri1-119,1-921-. Serial no.-';4e2,.741.-

A .further. obj ect. is to provide a mine case by theuse. of -which it is possible to plant a mine{ of. the :type that goes to the. bottom beforerising to :its correct depth in depths of-water even exceeding 5,000feet. :A; further. {object .is' to m ake it possible .to

-construct -..-amine case. of thinner material than is now used and to do away with-in A furtherq object iswto;provide-a mine case thatj will be absolutely water tight.

A further objectis to construct a simple and practical mechanism of the above char acter adapted to be put into operation by internal means, safety switches and other internal mechanisms thereby eliminating the necessity of expensive mine case openings.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

.In the accompanying drawings wherein is 35 shown one of various possible modifications of the presentinvention and in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, I

Figure l is a semi-diagrannnatic sectional elevational view showing such parts as are necessary to understand the invention.

Figure 2 is a semi-diagrammaticsectional elevation through the center of the mine.

45 a mine case 5, of general spherical shape is adapted to be anchored by means of cable" 6 in the usual well-known manner. An explosive charge is indicated at 7 adapted to be fired by the firing mechanism 8 provided with the customary safety features 10.

These elements form no part of the present:

invention and are merely-shown graphically. Within the mine case a small cylinder 11 adapted to contain some liquefied gas is 55 placed at a convenient position and is provided witha' normallygelosedb valve ;-l2.as all.

shown more I clearly .inEigure 2. This valve whenopeh or ag..w11en'.r; mtd aboutanwangle of. 45 9; will 'cohhectth passages 13 .and 14 and permit an escape jof thengaswfrlom Tithe cylinder 11.." flhi s .valveis openbwhensthje,

mine is submerged by jm eans of }'hydrostatic pressure acting againstfa pistonj15 moving within i a cylinder 16. As the piston siswac tuateda spring is compressed .within cylinder 'and the escaping; gas builds up ate 1 pressure within the mine casgingaccoidinglyi. When the internal pressure exceeds the miterior. hydrostatic pressure by any; predeterminedamount, the piston 15 returns tenormal Fposition thereby {closing the flvalve ,12. .When. the internal pressure ,exceedsrthe e:- ternal hydrostatic pressure ,by more ha thedesired excess, the piston will". take.

a. position in. the cylinder 16. below. an orif ce 18 thereby relieving the internaltpressure the escape; of. gas. therethrough. J Suchmovenlellt. I compresses a second spiral, spr ng .20

.betwee rthe' head 21 bfthe cylinder, 1;6. an d a plate 22 to" wannabe-actuating means {or the valve 12 is loosely connected in any 'de- I sired manner as by the slot-and pin construction 24.

Thesafety switches, safety. features and 85 arming devices previously operated by hydrostatic pressure can by this method be operated by the internal vapor pressure thereby accomplishing, among others, all of the objects and advantages hereinset forth.

Carbon dioxide is suggested as a possible' liquid. By its use no injury to perdisclose thelocation of the mine. =At 09F. its vapor pressure in pounds per square inch is .308; at 15 F., 391; at F., 488.8;at

906. These values are assuming a saturate atmosphere and under such conditions the mine could be' s'ubmerged to '1700 feet and be subjected to no'greater strain than nor-' mally exists above the surface of the water.

The amount of carbon dioxide required.

would be small and theassembly compact and light in weight. If the pressures above" listed are too high or too low, it is possible either to useoneof a number of other fluids or to vary the. amount-of fluid used. The

choice of substance used would depend on F, 606; at .F., 7445;:and at F. Referring now to the drawings in detail, v

launched inthe usual manner, and, as with- .many types now in general use, sinks to the bottomwhereupon the casing" is released; 7

; course, liminates the A necessity of extra: strong m1ne"cas'es. ;When:the'-m1ne *lsefref excess pressure'to pass, through the open-:

its action on explosives, steel, bronze, and

' The operation of the device is substantiall as follows:

T e; mine casing from its anchor and automatically rises'to a positionafpredetermined distance below the-surface of the waterthereby to engage static pressure on =t e minecasing is very great. This-hydrostatic pressure automatb 'cally actuates thepiston, and the valve 12 is opened allowing-the'escape of gas which "builds upthepressure within the minecasing greater than the external pressure by any Q predetermined amount. CThiS of lease "from its anchor the-excess pressure moves, the piston inthe opposite direction thereby shutting-01f a further. flow of gas from the [cylinder 11" and permitting" the ing in'the cylinder head 21 and thence of the mine casing. V

outithrough'the opening 118 on the exterior. f: It'will thus be seen that the presentin vention provides a simple andpractical ap= paratus which may be inexpensively'mam ufactured and assembled;

1 In a mine case, in combination, af t ank adapted to contain a gas under high pres;

Without further analysis, the foregoing W111 so" fully reveal the gistjof this invenknowledge readily adapt it for various ap? v plications without-"omitting certain. features with its anchor is tion that others can by applying current that, from the standpoint of the p'rior art,

fairly onstitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehend ed within the meaning and range of equivalency ofthe following claim; a I the under side of a passing boat. Naturally- I as the'inine sinks to "reat depths,;thehydrov 15 What "I' claim is:

sure,- saidmine case havingan opening in WhlCh a ,c'ylinderrand piston are mounted,

the piston being open to the actionvof by? .drostatlc pressure, said tank" having a'val've permitting/the outflow offgas, means betwe'en'the valve "and the'piston adaptedito inwardly" under hydrostatic pressure therepressures on the mine case-"spring means as Signed at Washin on, District of Columbia, this'16th'day 0 -March, 1921; {i

exceeds the external 7 hydrostatic" WA NEI E' open said ivalve' when said piston is moved by to equalize the internal andyeirternal sisv 

